"ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴀꜱᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴅᴏ."

*3rd Person POV*

The next morning, the three Gladers gather by the Maze walls. Newt joining them, to send them on their way. 

Ria's hair is braided down her back, a black shirt and grey leggings hug her body comfortably. A belt around her waist with knives tucked in the back. "We'll be back soon Newt. Take care of all of them for me will you?" She asks him 

"Of course." he says nodding, before giving her a hug. "Just come back safely." 

This time it's her turn to smile and nod. Soon the three of them have taken off into the maze. The wind whipping by their faces as they run. All day they run. Trying their best to find Ben, or anything left. 

*Minho's POV:*

As Ria rounds the next corner breathing hard she comes to a grinding stop. Almost slamming into her, I steer myself towards the wall. Stopping myself by hitting the wall. "Ria! What the he-"

Her hand covers my mouth in seconds. She pulls Alby over beside both of us. Her eyes are wide, fear and something a little older hide within them. 

"What is it Ria?" I ask slowly

"Griever." She says. "You both need to run, I can lead it down another way. Just keep trying to find Ben and when you do go right back to the Glade. I'll be out." 

"Is splitting up the best idea?" Alby asks quietly 

"No" She whispers "Splitting up is a terrible idea really, but it's the only one I have right now." She whispers. As soon as she's finished talking I can hear the clicking of the griever. 

"Be safe boys" She whispers, before taking off in a sprint through the corridor on the left. The Griever's scream is terrifying, but I don't wait around to see it. Instead I take off back down the way we came. Alby's right behind me. We run until we swear we've gotten away from them. 

Even though we feel safe, we're not. A griever drops down between the both of us, so I begin my sprint in the other direction. Both fortunately and unfortunately the griever does not follow me. Instead, I hear it clatter the other way. Soon I realize that it followed Alby. "What a shuck face" I mumble to myself "Going and getting both our leaders killed all in one day" I groan quietly, shaking my head before running to where the Griever followed Alby. 

Alby or Ria

How would anyone be able to choose. However, I don't get to. Instead, I hear a scream. It's Alby, and he's close. 

Taking off, I sprint through the corridors. I begin to sprint through another one when I notice something is off. Leaves on the vines are dented as though someone laid on them to sleep. Dots of blood leave a trail on the ground. That's when I see him. Near the outerwall, his back against the concrete slab. 

Running over I shake his shoulders, at first gently but he doesn't respond so I shake him a bit harder. Finally, his eyes fly open a surprised gasp resonating from his chest into the open, cold air of the maze.

"Alby?" I ask quietly, unsure of where the Griever is or when it could come back. 

"He isn't-" Alby's eyes  dart around with worry "Thomas" He says his eyes finding me. 

"Thomas?" I ask him, confused 

His face changes, angry and hostile. He practically growls, lunging forward I fall backward. His body weight on top of me, pushing me to the ground so hard my head hits the concrete beneath me. "Alby!? What the hell?!" I shout, unconcerned with drawing the Grievers back. I'm able to reach up just in time for Alby to take a knife out of his back pocket, blocking his hand from getting any closer to my head.

I groan, letting out a shout at the strain of holding him back. Man really needs a Snickers bar if you ask me In a flash his weight isn't on me anymore, catching my breath I look over. Ria is on top of him now, catching the side of his face with the back of her knife. Knocking him out. 

"Ria?" I ask out of breath

"No shuckface I'm a bloody goddess, yes of course now help me get him up." I don't even have time to roll my eyes at her snark, before she's getting Alby off the ground. 

*Ria's POV*

We don't see another Griever as we drag Alby back to the Glade as quickly as we can. Unfortunately, other problems come upon us.At first it rains, making running or at the very least fast walking virtually impossible while dragging Alby. Once it's over though, I can tell we're close to the Glade doors. 

"We're going to make it Minho" I gasp, my lungs hurting so badly from the strain. When we round the corner, I vagally hear the boys ahead of us on the other side of the doors begin to shout. I feel as though I'm going to pass out. 

20 yards

15 

The walls begin to close

10 yards

5

We're almost there as the walls are halfway closed, it's then that I know we won't make it. All three of us limping through the narrow walls? We'll be crushed. It's then anyway that Minho slips, stumbling, before catching himself on his knee. Swaying slightly. Alby's sudden weight makes me stumble myself, before he falls to the ground limply. 

I lose my balance then. I'm surprised though when the cold ground I was prepared for does not come. Instead, strong arms wrap me up. Setting me straight. I turn to see Thomas looking down at me. His brown eyes looking at me with worry. 

"Good job shank, you just killed yourself." Minho gasps. It's then that I notice the Glade doors have shut. 

"Oh Thomas." I whisper, letting myself sit down on the ground for a second. He gives me an extra glance before walking a little ways down the corridor and then back. He checks on Alby, looking at the blood on his forehead. 

"What happened?" He asks

"Ria did what she had to do." Minho challenges him. Thomas nods slightly as though for once in his life he won't challenge something. 

"We need to go, it's getting dark." Minho says, before beginning to walk away. 

"Minho, we can't just leave him here." Thomas says, as I stand shakily 

"Come on Minho" I say quietly, "If it comes down to his survival or all of ours ill make that call when it needs to be made. Right now? We would just be leaving him to die." I say 

Minho nods his head in understanding, but begins to look around his anxiety increasing. 

For a while the boys carry Alby, as I scout ahead. We do this for a while but  as the sun goes down, each little leaf looks like it might be a Griever. A monster roaming the night. 

"Alright, okay put him down" Minho says, laying Alby against a wall. "We can't keep doing this, we're going to get caught between a Griever and a dead end if we're not careful."

I nod my head reluctantly, knowing that all Alby is right now is dead weight and a threat. Both of which we don't need right now. 

"Wait, come on Ria! We can't just leave him here!" Thomas says, but before I have a chance to react Minho is pushing him against the wall. An arm to his throat. 

"Listen here shuck face, we have to go because if we don't we'll all be dead. Do you understand me?" Minho asks, but Thomas doesn't answer. Instead he stares up at the vines above both Minho's and I's head. 

Catching on I help lift Alby with Thomas as Minho wraps the vines around him tightly and looping the vine above us. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's finally completely dark as all three of us pull as hard as we can. 180 pound boy of pure muscle, why did he have to be the one we got stuck with out here? I ask myself. Even Newt would have been much bloody easier to hoist up. 

The sound of the walls changing snaps me from my thoughts, I look at Minho who looks over. When he looks back his face is pale with fear. "Griever" He whispers. "We have to go" He says "We have to go" 

"One more pull and then we'll tie it off." Thomas whispers 

"Thomas maybe we should-" 

"We got to go we got to go" Minho frantically whispers 

"One more second Minho" I whisper worried 

"Sorry greenie, come on Ria" Minho says before taking off. 

"Shit, shit, shit" I whisper as Alby's weight shifts dragging Thomas and I closer to the wall. Thomas squiggles around, so his body is hidden under the vines. I attempt to do the same, pulling myself under. 

I know I'm under the vines, but it feels like my back is sticking out. Thomas pulls me closer to his chest so there's not even an inch of room between us. He doesn't whisper a word as the sound of the clicking Griever gets closer. 

I bury my head into his neck, fear sending shivers down my spine. Thomas' grip on me gets tighter when the Griever stops I'm presuming right behind me. It feels like forever until I hear the sound of the Griever dissipates into the far walls of the maze. "It's okay now" Thomas whispers. 

With all the strength I have I pull myself away from him, helping him pull Alby one more time before tying it off. "We need to get out of this area" I whisper. Thomas nods quietly and we both begin to jog through the maze. 

We both stop though when we come upon slime coating the floor. Thomas steps in some, before raising his shoe, trying to get it off with a shake of his foot. 

"Thomas move!" I shout spotting the Griever above us. At my voice Thomas proceeds to fall on his ass. Yanking him up we both begin to sprint away. Down corridor after corridor, staying with each others pace. "Wait! Thomas, not that way!" I yell as he barrels down another corridor to a dead end. 

With hesitation I follow him, sprinting down after him. "Come on!" I shout, sprinting to a rock before taking a jump and grabbing the vines with my bad arm. I can feel it as my shoulder dislocates. I let out a cry, but continue to climb the wall with Thomas. 

Once we're both at the top, he pulls me the rest of the way up, the both of us taking off again in a full fledged sprint. The both of us jump over a hole in the wall, I manage to land on my feet whereas Thomas lands hard. 

I pull him up again as the Griever follows us without hesitation in its relentless chase. Thomas is looking behind us when we come to the edge of the wall. Grabbing his arm I'm able to hold him back from falling off the wall. 

Frantically, we look between the Griever behind us and the jump in front. "We don't have a choice" he whispers, seeing the fear in my eyes. 

Seconds later he's taken my hand, dragging me with him as he takes the jump. I let out a yelp, hitting the  wall hard with my body. I grab the vines with both hands as the Griever jumps after us. 

A shriek leaves my mouth when the Griever begins to fall, taking a pile of vines and myself with it. 

"Maria!" Thomas shouts as I fall, his arm is outstretched as though trying to catch me. When I hit the ground I hit it hard, it isn't nearly the worst part however. As the Griever's leg comes down, it goes into my stomach. The cold metal, piercing through my shirt. It feels deeper than I know it is however. The writhing Griever tears my skin from the bottom of my stomach up to my chest. Finally, it rolls away from me. I feel hands pulling me out from under the Griever. 

The world begins to get blurry when I look up at the sky. The stars shine above me as the feeling of hot blood runs down my side and onto Thomas' arms. 

"Shit" I hear him whisper. 

"Let's get her out of here" Minho says from right beside him. When I turn my head slightly I can see his own worried face. Trying to look up at what all the worry is about makes Thomas press his head to mine as he begins his jog. 

"Don't look Ria, don't look. Please" He says 

"Here, we can go down here. The wall sections are shifting" Minho shouts, the sound hurting my ears. 

"Take her" Thomas tells him

"What?" Minho asks as though he's gone crazy, and part of me wonders if he has. Thomas is passing me off into his hands before Minho can say another word

"Go! I have a plan!" Thomas shouts, waving us forward. 

"You had to pick the dumb shank huh Ria?" Minho whispers softly as he runs a slight chuckle in his voice. I know though, that it isn't real. He's only trying to get me to laugh. 

Gently he sets me down, leaning me against the wall behind him. "Come on Thomas!" Minho shouts when we see him turn the corner. The Griever following him. 

"Oh my God" I whisper 

"Run ya shank!" Minho screams "Don't look back!" 

At that exact moment I could've sworn Thomas looked back. 

"Run!!!!!" Minho screams as Thomas gets closer. 

Thomas barrels through the closing maze doors, tackling Minho as he does it. The boys come to a rolling stop before my feet. 

Taking a shaky breath, I begin to push myself up from the ground. I can feel the blood begin flowing down. 

Thomas stands quickly, pulling me into his arms once again. "Don't do that." He whispers 

"Come on" Minho says looking between the both of us, "We need to get to the Glade by sun up, no need to spend one more second longer than we need to in this shucking maze." 

"Alby" I whisper, struggling to keep my eyes open now 

"I'll get him." Minho says, before his voice sounds like it's underwater. "Take her to the Glade Thomas, I'm right behind you." 

I want to protest, to tell them I'm fine. Or, at the very least I want Thomas to speak up, to rebel. To do what he does best. 

"Thomas?" I ask as he begins to jog slightly, I know the bouncing should hurt especially since my adrenaline is probably going down but it doesn't. Which worries me a little more. 

"Yeah?" 

"Why are you helping me? I can walk" I whisper, closing my eyes again as a brief glimpse of early sunlight hits my face

"No, you can't." He chuckles without humor "and because you're their leader. They need you, I've seen it...besides-" He cuts off at the end 

"What?" I ask, getting dizzy again and praying I don't throw up on him. 

"I've seen you before" He admits hesitantly after a moment of quietness 

"I've seen you before too." I whisper, and his grip tightens on me. If I could see his face I'm sure I would see surprise "I knew you before the maze, the second you came up in the box and saw your face. The way you ran.." I whisper trailing off

"Ria?" Thomas asks as my eyes begin to slide shut "Ria, please keep talking to me. Hey come on." He pleads. So much worry for someone he doesn't really even remember. Someone he most likely won't. 

As I slip into darkness I feel him pick up his speed, 

Goodbye Thomas. 

𝟚,𝟞𝟞𝟞 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤